2014 El Dorado Sluice Box
A wild blend of vermentino, picpoul, grenache blanc, marsanne and roussanne grown at 2,800 feet of elevation, this gets its cloudy golden hue from extended skin contact. It’s resolutely savory, with flavors of carrot, turmeric and salt that last with a spicy and commanding persistence, yet there’s a refreshing florality at the end, an orange blossom scent that rises up out of the clay-like tannins. Hunter Hammett of Jardinière in San Francisco suggested matching its intense personality with oily fish, like mackerel. (467 cases)

77 Cult Americans

Thanks to dynamic booze shippers Brooks & Amos and Pacetti Imports, some of the most innovative and exciting new-wave wines from the US are now available in Australia. Look for The Scholium Project, Channing Daughters, Donkey & Goat and Dirty & Rowdy on hipster wine lists near you.

“…Husband-and-wife team Jared and Tracey Brandt turn out small cases of sustainably produced Rhone varietals from the Sierra Foothills and Anderson Valley the Old World way. That means they don’t rely on science for a “perfect” blend, they crush grapes with their feet, and they get their friends to help come harvest time. The result: seriously good vino. The Three Thirteen (a blend of syrah, mourvèdre, and grenache) varietal has already been winning raves…”

2005 Fenaughty Vinyeard Syrah, 90pts: The 2005 Syrah Fenaughty Vineyard exhibits loads of blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with meaty, black olive, and pepper notes. Surprisingly silky-textured, opulent, fleshy, and seductive, it will provide pleasure over the next 5-6 years.

2005 Syrah Vieilles Vignes, 89pts: Another elegant offering is the 2005 Syrah Vieilles Vignes. Good acidity as well as attractive raspberry, blueberry, spring flower, and bay leaf notes are present in this mid-weight, stylish, authoritatively flavored Syrah. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.

2006 Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone, 88pts: The medium-bodied, Chablis-styled 2006 Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard offers aromas and flavors of lemon oil, nectarine, and wet rocks. Drink it over the next several years.

“…In the Rhone, the Brandts followed the principles of biodynamic and traditional farming, and have incorporated some of these older and sustainable practices into their winemaking. They rarely inoculate their wines with yeast. For their Chardonnay, they pick twice, once in July and again in August, to utilize that early natural acid and avoid adding artificial acid later….”

Jessica Yadegaran of the Oakland Tribune wrote an excellent article about the Oakland (and Berkeley) wine scene.

The Naturalists

-Winemakers: Jared and Tracey Brandt, A Donkey and Goat, Berkeley.

-What they make: About 1,300 cases of Rhone varietals and chardonnay.

-Old World education: The Brandts left their tech jobs in 2001 and headed to France to study winemaking for a year under Eric Texier, a Rhone and Macon area winemaker.

-Crushpad co-founder: Upon their return, Tracey and her former colleague Michael Brill launched Crushpad, a San Francisco custom crush facility.

-That name: In Cote Rotie, donkeys are used for organic weed control. After a long day in the vineyard, they become noticeably cranky. So winemakers bring in goats at night to keep them company and soothe them. According to the Brandts, the pairing dates back to 345 A.D.

-Their pairing: In many husband-and-wife winemaking teams the women focus on the books and marketing side of operating a winery, but Tracey is adamant about sharing the dirty work with Jared.

-Texier tutelage: In the Rhone, the Brandts followed the principles of biodynamic and traditional farming, and have incorporated some of these older and sustainable practices into their winemaking.

Urban wine makers set up shop in the industrial parks of San Francisco’s East Bay
“…On the asphalt outside Berkeley’s A Donkey and Goat winery, 35-year-old owner Jared Brandt is scooping grapes out of a 500-liter wooden barrel. His wife, Tracey, is moving more barrels around with a forklift, and several friends are helping out. Today they’re pressing their 2006 syrah, an elegant, medium-bodied wine made with grapes trucked in from Broken Leg Vineyard…”

Berkeley Winery Tries Eco-Friendly Approach
For Jared and Tracey Brandt, owners and winemakers of A Donkey and Goat winery in Berkeley, green practices begin in the vineyard. The couple got much of their winemaking training by working for Eric Texier, a vintner in France’s Rhône Valley who works with grape growers committed to low yields and natural farming methods. So when the Brandts got started—their first commercial harvest was 2004—they followed Texier’s example.”

2005 Brosseau Vineyard Chardonnay, Chalone
“Jared and Tracey Brandt of A Donkey and Goat winery in Berkeley have a very European sensibility when it comes to wine. For one thing, they are very particular about the acidity in their wines. That’s led to an unusual method for making this Chardonnay from the Chalone AVA.

They love the minerality they get from the Brosseau Vineyard, but they found that the acid levels in the grapes would drop before the flavors were mature. Rather than just add acidity in the winery, they devised an ingenious process: Right after veraison, long before the grapes are ripe, they harvest 2 to 3 percent of the crop. They press the grapes – which is difficult, because the grapes at the level of development are on the hard side – then refrigerate the very tart juice (which is like verjus used in cooking) until the rest of the crop can be harvested. The tart juice is blended in before fermentation. The resulting wine, which sells for $40, is lean, racy and Chablis-like, with lemon and mineral flavors. It’s still very tight and would benefit from more time in the bottle.”

2005 Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone: Peach Skin Color. Pear, melon, lemon ice tea, incence and a leesy nuance on the nose. Juicy on entry, then nicely concentrated and rich in extract, although the wine’s saline character and edge of lemony acidity are not currently in harmony. Finishes quite dry, with an impression of solidity. 88